Carloudy Heads-up Display Uses E-Ink for Spectacular Battery Life

The advantages of a heads-up display are fairly obvious. Rather than taking your eyes off the road to glance at your in-car entertainment, or having your view obstructed by a windshield-mounted GPS, you can see turn-by-turn navigation with the minimum of eye movement. For those of us who do not have this system installed, devices such as the Garmin HUD offer easy retro-fitting, but they must be taken out regularly for charging. In contrast, the Carloudy uses an electronic paper display — the first HUD to do so — meaning it can keep going for weeks without being plugged in.

The advantage of using e-paper is that it has no moving parts, and it does not generate heat — the two primary factors that make LCDs so wasteful. This means that the Carloudy can last upwards of two weeks on a single charge, and the reflection it shines onto your windshield is visible in any light. In order to be even more energy efficient, this HUD is fitted with an ambient light sensor, allowing the display to adjust brightness based on in-car conditions.

Along with GPS directions, courtesy of Google Maps, Carloudy connects to your phone via Bluetooth to serve up real-time parking and traffic updates, a database of local amenities (e.g. gas stations, hotels, etc.), and speed limit information. Unlike some of its rivals, this HUD steers clear of social updates and text messages, opting instead to remain a genuine aid to safety. To this end, you can control the display via a steering wheel Bluetooth controller or in-car voice control.

The device is soon to be launched on Kickstarter in an effort to raise capital for production. Early bird backers will be able to pre-order Carloudy for $179; the eventual retail price will be around $259.

Meet Mark Myerson

Mark is best known for writing about apps, but he also loves the tactile, hardware side of technology. Being a professional photographer, he's pretty handy with a camera, and he's a self-confessed tweetaholic.

This week, Google unveiled loads of exciting stuff at its annual I/O developers conference — here is our roundup of the highlights. Apple, Intel, Microsoft, and Uber have all been approved by the US government to fly test drones. New... Continue Reading

We can’t wait to wake up to John Legend’s voice as our Google Assistant. Siri — you’ve got serious competition! Google Assistant can now book appointments by itself. Welcome to the future. Gmail Compose will write your emails for you.... Continue Reading

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Dubai Smart City Project in 2013. 25% of all transportation in the UAE will be autonomous by 2030. The three biggest Dubai tech projects for 2020 are the Expo 2020, the Hyperloop from... Continue Reading

If it feels like movies are getting more real than ever before, you’re right. Star Wars: The Last Jedi on 4K Blu-ray proves that visual effects are only improving. Cinema has always been about telling a story. Every since 1968,... Continue Reading

In an effort to be more inclusive, Apple announced their all-new emoji which include those with disabilities. The new set features an ear with a hearing aid, wheelchair users, and even service dogs. Technology is also making our cities more... Continue Reading

Legendary and visionary scientist Stephen Hawking died mid-March. As he told astroauts on the ISS: “May you keep flying like superman in microgravity.” Hawking was vital for the furthering of science, space, and exploration. In fact, despite his illness, he... Continue Reading